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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · drill · deal · pound · lean · root · rush · game

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — to grow
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. root — the cause
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — a weight
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — a match
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com